More people want three tier government

Chadema Secretary General Dr.Wilbrod Slaa shows copies of his party's proposals on improving the new draft constitution. Photo: Tryphone Mweji

The opposition party Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) yesterday submitted their views to the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) for a new constitutional draft in which they included 66 matters for review, including supporting a three tier government.
Speaking after submitting their views, Chadema Secretary General Dr Willbroad Slaa told reporters that his party had submitted two documents that contain the opinions of more than 3.4 million people.
The views were obtained from the general public through open forums, council conferences and internal meetings totalling 3, 462, 805 million people in Tanzania, he said.
Dr Slaa added that the submitted documents cite 66 issues for review, explaining that there were other issues, namely those currently being supported by their party. Generally, he said, Chadema supported 80 per cent of the issues mentioned in the constitution draft.
He expressed concern about CRC’s lack of proper system to receive submitted opinions, referring to how the commission refused exhibits showing the way the people expressed their views at public rallies.
Meanwhile, Tanzania International Fellowship Programme Association (TIFPA) has said there should be a three tier government structure so as to give equal rights to both countries within the Union.
The NGO’s recommendation was presented in a 13-page report submitted to CRC on Wednesday this week, suggesting that there should be a Union President and a prime minister for each partner to head government activities in the respective parts of the nation.
TIFPA said a three government structure would consolidate the status of the union as each member state would have enough time to concentrate on their own economic matters without external interference.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, TIFPA Chairperson Charles Mkude, reminded that Zanzibar has always had its own government since the union came into being in 1964 but that has not been the case for the Mainland.
He said the current government structure system discriminates against people on the Mainland, for instance, in that they are not allowed to own land in the isles whereas Zanzibaris can easily be given land on the Mainland.